St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-06
RAILROAD RECONSIDERATION.
The Right of Legislation in the
renises UudispuIed.

The subject of transportation--of reasona-
bic tariff rates on our rairoads-is of SUI
Preme interest to the people of this state, and
have no doubt will secure your earnest at
tention- The right Of the legislature to pass
laws for the supervision OF railroads has
becn for q number Of years well settled This
right was not, however, established without o
stEeIe and protracted struggle. / well re-
member that when in 1870 il was first advo-
caled by the then. governor of this state, in
message to the legislature, the proposition
was received with much doubt. Not only all
the railroad officials and capitalists opposed
II, but u large majority of the lawyers
Of the state antagonzed it as in con-
hict with the fundamental law of the land
and opposed 10 the genius of our institutions
However,, in the following year, bill was
passed by the legislature, and, with the APP
prOVaI OF the governor became law, fixing
gates, both freight and passenger. About
the same time similar legislation was enacted
IN several other Northwestern st; ties.
SUITS WE'RE INSTITUTED
In this state IN Illinois, and perhaps in some
other of the Northwestern states, under the
so-called granger laws" against various
railroad companies for the violation of those
laws. The enactments were experimental
and no doubt crude and ill-adapted to the
eXigencieS of the situation, but they served
the purpose of securing a judicial sanction
and vindication Of the right of legislative
CONlIOl. 1He JuuicIdl QeciSlOnS -ODtalneQ
under them, not only in the state courts but
in the supreme court of the United States as
Wen, settled forever the constitutionality of
Snch laws, and confirmed the aIt lority of the
legislature. Thus was established one of the
most important rights eyer secured d free
people. The eXpedIency of state supervision
over railroad and kindred corporations has
sometimes been doubted since then, but the
right is no lon er questioned. do not take
II TO be the policy OF the state to Deedlessly
interfere with or to harrass any great in err
est. and more especially the railroad Interests
of the commonwealth. That railroads have
become Misrepresentation commercial and agri-
cultural prosperity, if not to the very exist
ence OF the civilization of the century, no
one needs any longer to be told. To eliminate
them would be to turn back the
WHEELS OF PROGRESS
to the very portals of the dark ages, But
their supreme Importance makes it only the
more essential that they should be so ju-
dciOusly managed and controlled us 20 de-
veIop the highest efficiency and usefulness of
which they are capable, not simply as wealth.
producers to their mana gers and propr etors
but as engines powerful for good TO the
masses or people as well. The very fact that
every city, town and village strives for the
most ample railroad facilities, is q tribute to
their value which no one can gainsay. ANY
movement 10 Cypress or cripple these inter-
ests. simply to satisfy popular clamor,
would not only be unjust to the roads but
ruinous TO the people themselves There is
often wide but honest divergence of opin-
ion between the masses who use and desire 10
profit by the roads and their managers and
owners. They view matters from different
standpoints. and often each does the other
injustice. The duty of the S, ate is to find the
middle grouud-the happy N q between the
extremes-and having found IT, there to es-
tablish. with firm but impartial hand, the
great and often intricate relations between
md
business and pay their dividends The policy
OF this state, after some
LEGISLATIVE PUNCTUATION,
has settled upon a board of commissioners as
the best fundamentally with which to ac-
coynplsh this end. N judgment concurs in
this policy. and that safety TO both sides lies
in a board OF able, incorruptibe men, fearless
in the discharge of public duty, and with
ample powers to enforce their DEGREES.
Tlough railroads in this country are not built
with public funds, they can not be classed as
private property. They are common carriers